How to find your perfect signature wedding cocktail

Flash forward to your big day. You have just sealed your vows with a kiss. You turn to face a sea of smiling family and friends and you reach for the hand of the one you love the most. Walking back down the aisle you are greeted by a waiter, silver tray in hand, with drinks poised and ready; the first you will sip as a married couple.

After years of dating, months of planning and the last few euphoric moments, this has to be a sip to surpass all others. ‘How can you make this moment as momentous as it deserves to be?’ we hear you ask. By curating a signature wedding cocktail, of course. A great way to liven up cocktail hour is a cocktail created by you. Not only will it be a talking point for your guests, but you’ll have a taste memory to revisit long into wedded bliss. Don’t know where to start? Follow our guide on how to find your perfect signature wedding cocktail and you can’t go wrong!

What’s the story?

All the best signatures have a story. Maybe your signature will represent a happy memory like when you sipped Mojitos hand in hand on a far-flung beach at sunset. Perhaps you will delight in spending hours coming up with pun-filled cocktail names, poking fun at your quirky personalities. If there are too many delicious flavours to choose from, why not opt for signature drink each and celebrate your individuality? Whatever you pick, make sure it means something to you and that you share the story with your guests. The most successful signatures come from the heart.

Deconstruct your go-to drinks order

The cocktails you order on a big night out could be the key to your signature, helping narrow down which flavours that really float your boat and which are best avoided. If you love a Vodka Martinibut loathe aSex on the Beach, then fresh and fruity probably isn’t your scene. A great bartender will take your preferences to the next level so give them a few base ideas to work from and watch them run with it. Expect trendy flavour blends, a little experimentation and (hopefully) a lot of samples. That said, don’t settle for a cocktail that isn’t quite you. Voice your opinion and it will be heard for a true mixologist will not be happy anything short of perfection.

Consider your guest list (and your budget)

While your go hard or go home university friends would appreciate a high-alcohol cocktail as your signature, your great-aunt Muriel is likely to be fairly comatose after a couple of glasses ofLong Island Iced Tea. Sparkling wine-based cocktails are usually crowd pleasers and have lower alcohol content making them budget friendly too. So save yourself an eye-watering bar bill and the endurance of hideous vodka-induced dance moves by opting for a variation on a classic Bellini.

Play with your theme

You spent hours whittling down wedding themes in those early planning days, why throw yours by the wayside when it comes to your drink selection? If you’re going for a ‘20s bash that Gatsby would be proud of, start with Prohibition classics with class like a sparkling French 75. Or, for a rustic themed day, why not play with your glassware and go for a signature served in a mason jar?

Avoid your colour scheme

While that wonderful eggshell green colour scheme is sure to turn heads in other areas, avoid engineering cocktail colours at all costs. Your bridesmaids already begrudge their dresses matching the chair cover bows so throw out the food colouring and leave the colour pop to a garnish or decorative add-on. Never underestimate the cute stripy straw.

Think of your bartender and keep it simple

You might love the idea of garnishing your Old Fashioned signature with flamed orange peel to add a bit of theatre to cocktail hour. If this is the case, trust me when I say that your bartender is likely to be cursing the ground you walk on after serving your 100th guest. While these flourishes may seem fantastic on paper, all you’re likely to achieve is stressed out bar staff and one almighty queue for drinks. Make sure you keep your signature simple enough to be mass produced for quick pouring and easy drinking.

So there you have it, the best tips for curating your perfect personalised wedding tipple. Step away from the table plan, put the inspiration magazines away and start your research at the nearest cocktail bar, because even the busiest brides need a break sometimes!